Your Tax Dollars at Work: My Life as a Public Servant

[Watching Puddles Note to readers: I work for a very small town in southern Florida. It's a little barrier island that's just 7 miles long and less than a 1/2 mile wide. The work I do is Quality of Life stuff - parks and recreation and a mix of random tasks that don't fit in anywhere else. The people I serve here are sometimes difficult to deal with, but they are, on the whole, a fascinatingly eclectic group of salty beach folk. Some live in multi-million dollar beach homes, some are homeless; some are shrimpers, some are artists. There is no other place quite like this epiphany of Florida island culture...]

I just hung up the phone after allowing a resident to vent at me over the evils of Florida's economy. Apparently, the fact that vendors at my Farmers Market have to pay to rent their spaces each week means that I am a money-grubbing demon. Hm. Years ago, before I attained all of the "wisdom" of my 29 years [kidding], I may have argued with the man. I may have lost my temper. But - *shrug* - not today. Instead, I delicately explained that I understood his complaint, that the money I collect goes to advertise the market, and that I hoped he'd check it out next week. He hung up on me.

My little phone encounter with the angry gentleman got me thinking about the way that the public views the government and my conflicting opinions on public service. You see, I am a hard-working, optimistic government employee, but I am also a suspicious, demanding American citizen. So, sitting here with my unique perspective on how I try to serve the public, I'm going to share with you what I've learned that has shaped how I believe the government should serve me.

I am over-worked and under paid, often unappreciated and seldom recognized. But I'll tell you: I love my job. I respect and admire my boss. I see the Gulf of Mexico everyday. I learn something new with each person I meet. I have creative freedom and the confidence of my superiors. I have been entrusted by the citizens of this small town to spend their tax money, preserve their natural land, enhance their businesses and improve their quality of life. This is a position I do not take for granted; working in government is not just a job.

I believe that public service is a way of life; a mindset fine-tuned to the common good. Serving the public well is learning how to recognize the difference between personal preferences and ethical standards. It's accepting that you cannot fix everything, but trying to do it anyway. It is a humbling of yourself in recognition of the individual struggles faced by people in your charge. Becoming a steward of the land and its residents' hard-earned tax money. Public servants must realize that for comparatively little pay, they will endure the brunt of political storms, neighborhood disputes, verbal bashings and constant scrutiny. The privacy they enjoyed in the private sector will disappear with their acceptance of a government job. Their behavior outside of work will be just as important as their conduct on the job, and so will the behaviors and conduct of their families.

I wish that I had the opportunity to speak with every incoming politician and public servant to explain to them the obligations that they are about to accept. If I could impart to them the importance of our work and the implications of agreeing to work for the public, maybe the poorer attitudes in government could change, or be replaced by the positive attitudes of other people; turnover is not always a bad thing. Perhaps less of us would be considered "money-grubbing demons" by our public. I believe that those of us who live off of your tax money should be gracious for the opportunity to serve you and honor your trust by doing the best job we can for you.

I am excited by the optimism shared by the majority of Americans for our future after the election of Barack Obama. The BBC reported international joy from all over Europe and Africa. I heard a man tell one reporter "If I could ride my bicycle to America, I would go today". Regardless of who you voted for, I wonder if you are feeling what I'm feeling. I am beginning to feel as though people are daring to hope again. Change might finally be coming - accountability in government, a return to focusing on human rights and quality of life. *beaming grin* From my tiny, windowless office, I will continue to sign my emails the same way as I have for the past 2 years: POSITIVE CHANGE BEGINS WITH US. I will continue to imagine that I can influence people by example - a little positive flow going against the grain: trickle-up attitude adjustments.

In closing, I will leave you with a quote by Margaret Chase Smith that my boss hung in his office and gave me a copy of:

"My creed is that public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation with full recognition that every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration, that constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought, that smears are not only to be expected but fought, that honor is to be earned, not bought."